From the Diary of Helen Magnus
by toomuchfandom
Summary: Magnus saw how Ashley did her best to stealthily approach Henry with a leash. She tried hard not to laugh when Ashley kicked Henry in the shins. "Ow!" Henry cried out when he fell to the floor on his knees, dropping the game console. "My game console!"


A/N Co-written with oneofmanynames LJ.

_**May 10th 1981**_

_I just discovered that the great-great grandson of my father's weapon smith has been abducted from his home. His parents contacted me after the police had informed them that there wasn't anything they could do for him. I remember how fond my father was on Mr. Foss, and thus I am going to try to find little Henry, who's only a few months old._

_**May 17th 1981**_

_It has been a week since young Henry has been abducted. I have been searching for any information that would lead to finding him, including asking his parents if they've noticed anything out of the ordinary. They informed me that they only noticed a group huddling in the forest close by observing them closely. We don't know whether they're Abnormals or not but my intent is to find out._

_**September 12th 1981**_

_As suspected, the group that had supposedly been huddling in the forest behind the Foss residence had gone. I did find some droppings, but tests showed that they were of a canine origin. _

_At the moment, the search for little Henry has come to a dead end. I will not stop looking for him, but I have to prepare to rescue a mermaid in distress._

_**February 23rd 1982**_

_After rescuing the mermaid, I spent some time helping her settle in. She tells me that she's thankful to be here in the Sanctuary. _

_The search for Henry Foss is still in progress and I discovered that an ancient werewolf tribe took him. The location of where they are is unknown._

_**September 4th 1985**_

_Last month I managed to successfully re-implant the embryo I had frozen for so long. Truth be told, I feel lonely. I had to let Sam Jensen, my protégé, go. Even though he was only 50 years old, it's hard to see my loved ones age whilst I do not. I've made this mistake with my last protégé, Barney. He's about 80 years old now, and he's getting the best care modern technology can provide for him. I had to let go of him a few years back, after he engaged a highly radio active abnormal because it was "cute and fluffy" and "wouldn't hurt me". I find it fascinating on how he's still alive, after all those years._

_**March 1st 1986**_

_We have found the location of the tribe that abducted Henry and after rescuing him, I found out that he was bitten by one of the tribe members and thus turned into a werewolf. Currently we are trying our best to domesticate him. It'll be a hard task but with patience and time, I'm sure he'll come around. It's a pity that Henry's parents aren't around anymore to witness this joyous event._

_Henry seems to be taking a liking to the Bigfoot. Perhaps it's because they're similar in appearance._

_**March 5th 1986**_

_It's a shame that the tribe was in fact a tribe of human like shape shifters. In order to rescue Henry, we had to kill a few of them. He obviously got bitten by a werewolf, truth be told, this little, underweight 5 year old looks kind of cuddlesome with all that fur on him. _

_Just to be on the safe side, little Henry's wearing a muzzle, until he stops trying to bite either me, Bigfoot or one of the aides._

_**June 7th 1986**_

_It's been nine months since I implanted the embryo and I'm please that so far it has been a healthy pregnancy. Although, I'm not due for another two weeks, I'm certain that the little one will be early._

_Henry is coming a long way. He still only communicates by grunting, growling or gnawing. Sometimes he even throws things around when he's frustrated. My latest protégé Jack's been trying to teach him how to build basic technical items. I think I'll invest in getting him a game console to play around with when he's more familiar with it._

_**August 22nd 1986**_

_Ashley arrived a week too late. Impatient as I was to get rid of the big incubator that's my belly, I induced labor on July 1st. She's a healthy little baby, and thankfully, she looks like me and not __him__._

_I am a little hesitant as to show her to Henry, or let him anywhere near Ashley for the time being. Even though Ashley won't register Henry's abnormal appearance, Henry's motor skills are immature, to say the least. He will either drop her or hug her to death._

_**April 7th 1988**_

_Ashley and Henry seem to be getting along fairly well. Although, I'm a bit concerned for Ashley as she seems to have violent tendencies. Perhaps it's just what one would call the 'terrible two's' stage. _

_Henry seems to be speaking more clearly now. At the age of ten, he has the vocabulary of a four year old. His motor skills have improved greatly and he's starting to look more human than canine._

_**December 25st 1989**_

_I got Henry a 'game console' for Christmas. He pretends he's playing with it, but he's more curious to what's inside._

_Just when I had put him and Ashley down for the night, I heard a loud cry coming from Henry's room, followed by objects getting smashed against his walls. Upon further inspection, Henry had taken apart the game console and was crying because he wanted to play with it but couldn't get it back together._

_Might call someone to fix this gift._

_**January 2nd 1991**_

_Oh dear God… make it stop!_

"No!"

"Ashley, you need to get dressed." Magnus tried to convince her daughter.

"Why?"

"Because it's not proper to walk around in your jim jams." She tried to stay calm, but frankly, she had had enough of her daughter's temper tantrums. "We've been over this before."

"I care not!"

Magnus took a deep breath before she spoke again. "Ashley, I'm giving you to the count of three..." She started.

"Or what?" Ashley stared at her mother obviously not convinced of any consequences.

"I'll dress you myself and you will not like that."

"Fine!" Ashley shouted before stomping her foot and marching to her room.

Henry's head popped out of his room. "Could you please be quiet? I'm trying to read!" He held up his comic, smiling widely.

_You cheeky little bugger_, Helen thought. "Henry, talk to me like that again and…"

"What?"

"I'll ground you for an entire week and give all your comic books to our fire abnormal."

"You wouldn't!"

"Oh and restrict your play time with Ashley."

"Why?"

"Because she needs to learn she can't have everything her way."

"Why?"

_Oh, not this, please!_ Magnus thought. "Because I said so."

"Okay!" Henry smiled as he went back into his room, to read more of his comics.

_**January 10th 1991**_

_In order to try and get Ashley more socialized with children her age, I took her for a ballet class in town. This was not a success; Ashley started to cry and kicked the ballet instructor in the shins. _

_Although she made me feel extremely embarrassed, I could not help but be proud of my little girl. Ballet is an ancient art, I was taught how to do ballet when I was a little girl, but I appreciate Ashley's strong will._

_On our way back to the Sanctuary I got Ashley her first gun; a squirt gun._

"Thank you mommy!" Ashley rewarded Magnus with a big, sloppy and sticky kiss.

Magnus smiled at Ashley. "Now, don't go shooting innocent people with that."

"Can I shoot Henry with it?" Ashley asked innocently.

"No." Magnus shook her head, laughing. "He's innocent."

"But but but he's an abnormal! And you usually kill those or capture them!"

"He's Henry." She tried to sound patient and not appalled by Ashley's reasoning, she was only just so little. "You can shoot at inanimate objects with your squirt gun."

"That's no fun." Ashley folded her arms as she pouted."Can I shoot the fire guy?"

"Ashley..." Helen warned.

"Fine." She hopped away from her mother and called out for Henry.

_**April 25th 1991**_

_Henry certainly has a knack for technical things. While I was working on a corpse of an abnormal that one of the retrieval teams had picked up, Henry proudly came in to the laboratory, carrying his game console. The same one that he had broken many years ago. _

"Dr. Magnus!" he smiled from ear to ear. "I fixed it! It works!"

"Oh, that's good to hear, Henry! I'm proud of you."

"Got anything else to fix?" He grinned.

Magnus saw how Ashley did her best to stealthily approach Henry with a leash. She tried hard not to laugh when Ashley kicked Henry in the shins. "Ow!" Henry cried out when he fell to the floor on his knees, dropping the game console. "My game console!"

"Fix later, pup!" Ashley said, putting the leash around Henry's neck. "Mommy see! I've got a puppy!"

"Oh? What's his name?"

"Puppy!" Ashley exclaimed, with a big smile.

"Puppy? How...creative." Magnus shook her head as Henry began chewing on the leash in an attempt to escape. "I don't believe he likes the leed, Ashley."

"Too bad! I'm the boss!" Ashley started to walk away as she pulled Henry behind her.

"Ashley, that's enough." Magnus said as she took hold of the leash.

" Hey! I'm still here!" Henry said coughing.

"Oh, sorry Henry." Magnus dropped the leash.

"I kinda promised Ash I'd be her puppy for the rest of the afternoon…"

Helen let out a sigh as she shook her head. "Whatever tickles your fancy, Henry." She looked to Ashley. "Don't be too harsh on him."

"As long as he listens he's safe!"

"I made her promise me that she wouldn't take me to the vet." Henry said.

"Puppy's can't talk!" Ashley pulled on the leash, and then sat down on Henry's back. "Go puppy!"

"Dear God..." Magnus let out as she watched Henry gallop away with Ashley on his back. Since when did puppy's gallop anyway?

"First stop; kitchen!" Ashley squealed.

"Ash, I can't go fast."

"You're a stupid puppy."

Henry rolled his eyes as Ashley tugged on the leash. He stood up to his feet, giving Ashley a piggyback ride.

"No! Bad puppy! Puppies can't walk on two legs!" Ashley whined. "Moooom, get ready to neuter him!"

"I'm not a Veterinarian, Ashley. And Henry's not a real puppy."

"You're no fun!"

"Ash, I'm an abnormal puppy, how's that?"

"OH cool! Giddy up!" Ashley held onto Henry tightly as Henry ran to the kitchen.

"Here we are, Ash!"

"Now reach up and get me the chocolate!" Ashley knew her mother wouldn't allow it but she didn't care. She didn't want dinner anyway.

"I can't, it's too high." Henry said, putting Ashley down on the counter. "However, I dare you to stand on my shoulders so you could get it."

"Easy peasy!" Ashley said as she climbed up onto Henry's shoulders. She reached up into the cupboard where the chocolate was kept but leaned too far and almost fell. Luckily, Henry was quick enough to catch her.

"Okay, let's not do that again, Ash."

"Practice makes purrfect, Henry." Ashley giggled and found her balance.

"Smart ass."

Ashley smiled, cheekily at Henry as she reached into the cupboard and pulled out a bar of chocolate. "I learned that rule from mommy!"

"Ah…" Henry carefully walked back towards the counter so that Ashley could get off his shoulders. He was good at balancing things, but an energetic 5 year old on his shoulders was something else. At least he was a bit stronger than the average 10 year old. "Now hand over half of the chocolate bar." He said, holding up his hand.

Ashley immediately held the chocolate bar tightly against her chest, shaking her head quickly. "No!"

"I'll tell your mom, and I'll tell her that you MADE me lift you up high enough to get the chocolate bar."

"I'm not afraid of her!" She held onto the chocolate bar tighter.

Henry shrugged, got the leash off of him and walked out of the kitchen. "Dr. Magnus!"

"Wait!" Ashley shrieked. She tried to climb off the counter but it was too high.

Henry bounced back into the kitchen. "Changed your mind?" he asked smiling.

"Get me down first..." Ashley pouted.

Sighing, Henry lifted Ashley off the counter, and took a step back. "Do not kick me again."

"I won't" Ashley giggled before she bolted out of the kitchen, chocolate bar in hand.

Henry shrugged, grabbed a chair and got a chocolate bar of his own before retreating to his room.

_**October 15th 1991**_

_I have decided that it's time to take the young ones on a trip outside the Sanctuary. Too much time cooped up in the house could drive a certain someone mad. Perhaps this trip will help them release some energy._

"Ashley, you can't bring that. It's too big." Magnus tried to explain.

"But why? Henry can bring his comic books. I want to bring my bike!"

"We're going to England. There are plenty of bicycles there."

"But they're not MY bike. And why are we going to England anyways? It's boring!"

"You've never been there before. How do you know it's boring?"

"Because… because you are!" Ashley nodded and clutched the handles of her bike.

"I am not. I can be quite fun." Magnus stated matter-of-factly. "You're not bringing you're bike. End of story."

"Meany-pooh!" Ashley exclaimed, as she threw her bike down and stomped her foot onto the ground.

Magnus rolled her eyes. "Find something else and meet me downstairs in 15 minutes."

Ashley mimicked her mother as soon as she left for downstairs. "Find something else." She went to her room and grabbed her squirt gun, making sure it was filled, before she ran to the lift.

Helen looked at Henry, who wasn't carrying his comic books but a manual on one of the refrigerators. "This is a pleasure trip, Henry."

"I know, this is fun." He smiled, pointing at the manual. "And so interesting."

"For a 10 year old you're awfully smart."

"I know!"

"You're such a geek!" Ashley pointed her squirt gun at Henry.

"Shoot me and die, peanut."

Ashley grinned, slyly as she squeezed the trigger. "Oopsies, my finger slipped." She then quickly went to hide behind her mother.

"I can kill you with my brain!"

"Now, children, we're not going to kill anyone today." Magnus said. "Bigfoot is driving us to the airport, let's go."

Ashley stuck her tongue out at Henry as she skipped behind her mother and Big Foot. "Do we get to eat that huge breakfast thing?"

"You mean the full English breakfast? If you can stomach it, by all means, go for it." Magnus shook her head.

"I can eat 2 of those!" Ashley bragged.

"I can eat 5!" Henry clutched his manual.

"Oh you're so going to prove that!"

"Smart ass."

"What? Don't say things if you're not going to prove it!" Ashley smirked.

"Never said I wasn't gonna prove it." Henry pointed out.

"It's on now!"

_Why is she so smart?_ Helen wondered as she pushed her daughter and young Henry Foss into the car.

"Can I ride shotgun?" Henry asked.

"Where did you hear that?" Magnus wondered aloud as she closed the door behind her.

"I've read that in my comics." He smirked. "Plus, I'm 10 years old, I know stuff."

"Cheeky monkey." Magnus grinned as she sat up in the front.

"Henry, how can you ride a shotgun?" Ashley asked.

"Easy, look at your mom, she's riding shotgun to Bigfoot."

"I don't see a gun. Unless mommy's hiding one in her jacket."

Grinning, Henry whispered in Ashley's ear, "The car seat is rigged to explode should she get out of the car."

Ashley looked horrified and shrieked. "You lie! That's not true!"

"It is!" he shushed her. "See that light on the dashboard?" he pointed to the light that showed whether or not the lights were on. "It's on; it means that your mom's chair is ready to go off."

"So if it goes off we go boom?" She looked at the light before looking at her mother.

Henry nodded.

"Oh Henry, stop scaring my daughter." Magnus said. "You've got such an overactive imagination."

"Mommy don't move!"

"Ashley, the vehicle isn't about to explode just because I move from the seat." She lifted up slightly from the seat. "See?"

Ashley shot a look towards Henry before punching him in the arm. "Liar!"

"Ow that hurt!" Henry laughed.

"Good."Ashley stated. "Are we there yet?" She asked, kicking the back of her mother's seat a little.

"Almost, sweetie. Stop kicking the back of the seat please."

"Ash stop using me as a punching bag, please!" Henry cried out. "Ow!"

"I'm not allowed to do anything am I?"Ashley pouted.

"Ow! Ashley!" Henry cried out and started to hit her with his manual.

"Enough!" Magnus exclaimed, sternly.

Ashley stopped hitting Henry immediately and folded her hands on her lap. "I'm bored!"

_**October 18**__**th**__**1991**_

_We've arrived in England. Thank God. Henry and Ashley are playing with one of the benign abnormals that Sanctuary London houses and I can finally take a breather and some time away from them. Henry was an absolute sweetheart on the plane, Ashley on the other hand, wasn't. I think she secretly smuggled a chocolate bar into her clothes before we left. Eventually one of the flight attendants took Ashley to the cockpit, which held her interest for a while. _

"Woah!" Ashley jumped back a little from the Abnormal as it stretched out one of its limbs. "That's so cool!" She tried to imitate it but was disappointed when she couldn't do the same.

Henry closed his manual and looked at Ashley and the abnormal. "Ash, you can't stretch that far."

"And why not?" Her eyes remained on the Abnormal who seemed to be mocking her by stretching out more.

"Because… you're 5. And you're not an abnormal." He pointed out. "Now, have fun, I'm going on a secret treasure hunt." He got up and walked towards the door.

"I wanna come!" Ashley whined as she followed after Henry.

"No." Henry said sternly. "It's a super secret mission."

"Please, oh please can I come! I can keep a secret!"

"No you can't." Henry shook his head. "Oh absolutely not." He shook his head again and started to run away from Ashley.

Ashley started to cry as Henry ran away from her. "Fine!" She stomped away but didn't go back to the abnormal.

With Ashley off his back, he decided to find some sturdy wood and a saw. He had plans to make something for Ashley.

_**October 18th 1991, addendum**_

_So much for leaving an abnormal in charge of Ashley and Henry. Whilst Henry was busy doing something in the workshop (I do admire his enthusiasm for building things), Ashley had disappeared. Eventually, when it was past teatime, we, James and I, found Ashley taking some fight lessons from a highly intelligent – and violent – abnormal. _

_I don't have to say that she threw a fit when I tried to get her away from it._

"He didn't hurt me mommy! He was nice!"

"Ashley, he could have hurt you. He's in an enclosure for a reason." Magnus said sternly, as she checked Ashley out for any injuries.

"He still was nice...and Henry wouldn't let me go on his treasure hunt..."

"Treasure hunt? What treasure hunt?" Magnus asked.

"I don't know. He said it was a secret." Ashley said, waving her hands in the air.

"Henry Foss! Show yourself right now!" Magnus called.

Henry appeared with a pair of self-made stilts. "I'm here!"

"What are those?" Ashley pointed at the pieces of wood Henry had.

"This is for you." Henry smiled. "You can practice balance with it, and you'll be taller!" He hopped on the stilts and walked around with them. "What do you think Ash?"

"Cool!"Ashley let out as she ran over to Henry.

"I don't believe those are safe Henry. She could fall off them and hurt herself." Magnus pointed out, although she thought it was sweet that he made them for Ashley.

"Awe! Party pooper mommy!"

"These are safe." Henry nodded. "They're smaller than normal stilts and I've made sure that the surface underneath it has padding so it won't slip on the floor."

"So clever." Magnus smiled.

"Can I try them now?" Ashley asked, almost jumping up and down.

"Tea first, play more later." Magnus took the stilts from Henry. "I promise."

Ashley hugged Henry. "Thanks!"

"You're welcome Ash."

_**July 2nd 1996**_

_Henry's started his summer holiday by rearranging his room and setting up computers that he salvaged from the streets. I'm sure that he'll make them work somehow, but I'm not too sure about as to what his intentions are. Henry's doing well in high school. After many years of homeschooling, I decided to try and give him as much as a normal life as possible. I am happy for him, he's doing extremely well and excels in most classes. Then again, he has never been much of an athlete, so I suppose I'll have to live with that. I've been told by teachers that girls 'dig' Henry because of his intensity. He always seems focused and gives himself for 150%. I'm glad that he has his werewolf side under control._

_We celebrated Ashley's 10th birthday yesterday, and as much as I want her to become a 'girly-girl', as she calls it, she refuses to become one. She's a real tomboy, my Ashley. She has martial arts training at least 4 times a week, in addition to her gymnastic classes every other day. She demanded that she was allowed to shoot a real gun on her birthday, but she's still a 10 year old. Extremely smart, just like Henry, but I really have to keep in mind that she's still 10 years old._

"Henry!" Ashley ran into his room. "Holy…!"

"Ash! Don't swear!" Henry laughed.

"Holy Mess?" Ashley said innocently.

Henry chuckled a little. "Yeah, been rearranging stuff."

"I see that!" Ashley said as she stepped over some of the clutter.

"I know I promised you to do something fun together, but the summer vacation is long." He said and handed her a small bag of potato chips. "You don't mind me doing this, do you?"

"No! I think it's awesome." Ashley grinned. "And I get treats!"

"You're easy to please." Henry smirked.

She smiled as she started to munch on the chips as she watched Henry move some times. "Dude you have a lot of stuff."

"Nah." He shook his head. "I've been collecting all this junk for 2 years now, it's time to do something with it, as your mother won't let me touch her stuff."

"Yeah, she's touchy about her things."

"She's a girl, what do you expect." Henry grinned and then saw Magnus in the door opening. "Oops, sorry Dr. Magnus."

Magnus folded her arms against her chest and gave Henry a look.

"Hi mom!" Ashley said as she stuffed her face with more chips.

"Ashley, you'll spoil your dinner..." Magnus shook her head. "I see the rearranging is still in progress..."

"Ah yes, because I have too much stuff. I think I'll just have to see what still works and what doesn't so I can throw it out." Henry smiled widely. "See, if you had allowed me to touch your computers then I wouldn't have to do all of this."

"Why won't you let him use them anyways? Are you hiding porn or something?" Ashley asked.

"Ashley!" Helen shot her daughter a look. "Where did you learn about that?"

"You're avoiding the question, mom." She grinned.

"No, I'm not hiding pornography on the computers. I just don't want them to be taken apart."

Henry snickered. "I don't want to take them apart! I have ideas for the whole network, or at least an improvement of some stuff." He shrugged. "At lunch break I hang out with these guys that know so much about computers. They even predicted that by the time it's the year 2000 that the computers will be so much faster and better, it'll be insane."

"What sort of plans?" Magnus asked.

"Well you know, hook up every system to a computer… and a back up so you can regulate it from the computer." He shrugged. "I've made some progress at school, but I'm not there yet. So it's good that I have to practice on my own stuff." He pointed at the mess. "I'll build a computer from scratch and make a virtual sanctuary with my adjustments and then, when I'm done, I'll show you."

"Henry, you're 15, you can't be that computer smart!"

"Oh watch me, Ash, I'm going to be an uber-geek!"

"Oh no!" Ashley cried out. "My worst nightmare is coming true!"

Magnus laughed a little. "I'm sure there are worst things, Ashley." She then turned to Henry. "I look forward to seeing the results."

"But I'm still not allowed to use your stuff?"

"Absolutely not." Helen smiled. "Now, lunch is served, come on."

Ashley crumpled up the chip bag in her hand and smiled. "Yay! Lunch!"

_**July 10th 1996 **_

_Henry and Bigfoot are off to a science fiction convention. It's about the only place outside Sanctuary where Bigfoot can be himself and be treated like a real person. If Henry would have wanted to go alone, I would have never allowed it._

_I've decided to take Ashley on a little shopping trip. The girl definitely needs some new clothes and sports wear as most of her wardrobe is either torn or ripped to shreds._

"Can I have this mom?" Ashley asked as she held up a leather jacket. "It has matching pants!"

"Don't you think you're a little too young to wear leather, Ashley?"

"No, 'course not!" She grinned. "Some girls on T.V wear leather."

"That's television Ashley, it's nothing compared to real life at all." Magnus responded. "You're not going to wear leather, you're too young." She held up a pair of tight fitting jeans. "How about these?"

"Ooo, those are cool! With this shirt?" Ashley took a pink, sleeveless, shirt off one of the racks.

"That'll be fine, Ashley." Magnus said. _As long as she's covered up_, she added in thought.

"Hurray!" Although she really wanted that leather jacket too.

"So, where do you want to go after we pay for all of this?"

"Uh, firing range?" Ashley asked innocently. "Just kidding! The candy shop up the road?"

"I'm going to regret this, but sure, the candy shop is good."

"Really?" Ashley grinned. "Can we get one of those big sticks that's filled with flavored sugar?"

"Sure." Magnus knew that Ashley would end up being really hyperactive, but if Henry's allowed to indulge himself under adult supervision, why can't Ashley? "Want some pop with that?"

"Okay, who are you and what have you done with my mother?"

Magnus started to laugh. "Isn't a mother allowed to spoil her own daughter while her daughter's best friend is away to have some fun on his own?" she caressed Ashley's hair. "And please, don't become too smart for your own good, it doesn't suit young ladies."

"Should I pretend to be stupid then?" Ashley grinned. "Any kind of pop?"

"Yes Ashley, any kind of pop." Magnus nodded and after paying for Ashley's new clothes, they went down to the candy store Ashley wanted to go to.

Ashley ran straight to the sugar sticks. "So many to choose from..."

_**July 10th 1996, addendum**_

_Poor Ashley is on a sugar rush. I expect her to crash hard once the sugar wears off. I'd better get her some tea._

_**July 30th 1996**_

_Henry never seizes to amaze me. He finally managed to get his room all clean and tidy, and has sorted through all the junk he had collected over the years to make not one, but two fully functioning computers, and I'm ashamed to say that his computers are probably better than the ones I have… _

"Eureka!" Henry cried out and nearly ran over Bigfoot while exiting his room.

"What's wrong, Henry?" Bigfoot asked and held on to Henry's shirt as Henry was about to bolt.

"I did it! Now, I have to tell doctor Magnus…"

" She's on a trip to India, she told you this morning."

"Oh…" Henry looked disappointed. "Where's Ash?"

"Bugging the new protégé."

" Figures." Henry sighed and walked back into his room.

"Do you want something to eat, Henry?"

"Nah thanks."

" You need to eat."

"I'm fine."

"Magnus told me to take care of you."

"And you are, I'm not hungry."

The Bigfoot grunted and left, only to return with a bowl of soup several minutes later. "Eat."

"It's not mushroom, is it?" Bigfoot smacked him around the head. "Ow! Why did you do that? You know I don't like…" Another smack followed. "Fine!"

_**August 2nd 1996**_

_I have returned from my trip to India, and I found Ashley, Henry and Bigfoot out on the grounds setting up a small tent. It's nowhere near my annual 'Moroccan Break' so I'm curious as to what they are up to._

"Mommy!" Ashley ran towards her mother and nearly bowled her over. "You're back!"

Magnus smiled at Ashley as she hugged her. "Yes, I'm back." She then looked to Henry and Big Foot. "Are we planning a camp out?"

" Yes." Henry smiled widely. "And he promised a campfire too."

"Henry's been on his computers all the time." Bigfoot grunted.

"Which reminds me!" Henry practically bounced. "I did it!"

"What did you do?" Magnus asked as she stepped over to them with Ashley skipping behind.

"I set up a mini virtual Sanctuary on a virtual network, and I'm running it from my computers." Henry smiled widely.

"The boy needs to go out more." Bigfoot shook his head.

Magnus grinned a little at Big Foot's comment. "You managed to do that while I was away?"

"He's a geek, Mommy!"Ashley piped in as she went over to Henry.

Henry glared at Ashley and shook his head. "It took me two weeks, and when I was done, you had gone off." He shrugged. "It's not like it's important… it's just a little project of mine."

"It's important to you though. That's what matters." Magnus smiled. "Do I get to see it? After this camp out of course."

"Oh sure sure! I think we need another tent though if you're going to join us!"

"Oh, I don't think I'll be joining you." Magnus shook her head.

"Awe! Why not?" Ashley whined.

"Because I have a few things to get done and I prefer my bed."

"Spoilsport!" Ashley stuck out her tongue to her mother and then, as a result, got head slapped by Bigfoot.

_**August 2nd 1996, addendum**_

_Even though the smell of a campfire is lovely, I don't understand why they had to make a campfire right underneath my window and play loud music all night. I'm not too sure if the Abnormals residing in the Sanctuary particularly liked it._

_**September 29th 1997:**_

_With a few additions and rearranging, Henry's virtual Sanctuary looks very promising. He's managed to develop a security program for the whole Sanctuary. However, it's still premature and I'm not allowing him to install it on the main server yet._

_Ashley seems to be in a Madonna or Spice Girls stage. Or some other bands that young girls her age like. I'm surprised she likes Madonna, as Madonna is almost an Abnormal herself. How does she looks so young naturally?_

_Bigfoot brought a rather serious matter to my attention. According to him; Henry smelled differently today. Of 'mating' as Bigfoot called it. As Henry's definitely of age in this day and age, I'll have to have 'the talk' with him, as Bigfoot would probably scare the boy to death._

"Dr. Magnus, you wished to see me?" Henry asked politely as he stood in the open door to Magnus' office.

"We need to talk." Magnus gestured to a chair.

"Okay..."Henry said as he made his way over to the chair and sat on it. "What's up?"

"Could you close the door, please?" Magnus asked.

"Oh, right." Henry nodded and got up to close the door, then sat back down in the chair again. "So, what's up?"

Magnus placed her hands on her lap and looked to Henry. "When a male and a female reach a certain age, new emotions are brought to the surface. Sometimes it leads to – "

"Woah! Wait a minute Doc. Are you trying to talk about sex here?"

Magnus nodded her head. "As a matter of fact I am."

"I know all about it. Got sex education in school. I had sex, but I was safe! Don't worry! If you want to give someone the 'talk' give it to Ashley."

Magnus didn't know what to say, and just gave a slight nod. "As long as you do it safe, Henry." She continued. "What's her name?"

"Sammy. She's from the posh part of town, proper, clean, and smells nice."

Magnus frowned. 'Sammy' didn't sound as it was a proper posh name. Maybe it was short for Samantha. "Perhaps I can meet her one day."

"Yeah… right." Henry sighed. "Was that all? I've got math to learn."

"That'll be all, Henry." Magnus smiled.

Henry got up, and opened the door. He was surprised to find Ashley laying on the floor, on her back with a glass in her hand. "Ash?"

"Henry! Oh um...I uh... was just coming to ask mom if she wanted a drink." She quickly thought. "I wasn't listening to your talk! I didn't hear anything about sex! Nope!"

"Ashley..." Magnus said as she came up behind Henry.

"I swear! I didn't hear anything about it."Ashley had a huge grin on her face.

"Your grin says otherwise."

Ashley giggled and skipped off singing 'Like a Virgin'.

"You don't even know what a virgin is!" Henry called after her.

"Touched for the VERY first tiiiime!" Ashley sang back before disappearing into the lift.

Henry groaned as he made his way back to his room. Magnus just stared down the hall in disbelief. Sure, it was all innocent enough, but she realized even more how Ashley could grow up to be a royal pain in the neck.

_**October 1st 1997:**_

_As much as I admire Ashley's enthusiasm for being musical, she's driving me mad with her constant repeating the same songs over and over. Now, there's nothing wrong with liking the music she does, it just becomes tiresome after a while. I don't discourage her though._

_Ashley's been asking questions about sex, ever since she eavesdropped on the 'talk' I tried to have with Henry._

_I was in my lab today when Ashley came running towards me in tears._

"Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!" Ashley nearly jumped into Magnus' arms. "I was in the library." She sobbed. "You want me to write an essay on horsies, and I found this book!" she nearly shoved it into Magnus' face. "Mommy?" she stopped sobbing for a moment. "What's a fallus?"

Magnus looked at the book in her hands and went red in the face after reading the title.

"A fallus is a big, black cock."

"What's a cock?"

"It's a bird that lives on the farm...usually the bird you hear it crowing at dawn." _Nice save Helen_.

"So the man had a huge cock?"

"Rooster." Henry hiccupped as he walked into the lab to hand over his science project for Magnus to check. "Can I …"

"Like a Virgin! Hey! Touched for the very first…" Ashley interrupted him.

"Ashley!" Henry growled.

"Ashley, do you…" Magnus started before getting cut off by her daughter.

"I have no idea what I'm singing, but it's fun how Henry reacts to it so I keep on doing it." Ashley told her mom.

"I figured as much." Magnus decided to keep the book. "Now run along. I expect that essay to be done by tomorrow."

"But-"

"No, buts..."She stopped herself when Ashley started to giggle. "What is it?"

"You said butts!"

Magnus rolled her eyes. "Go. Now."

Ashley smiled brightly before she turned to leave the lab. She was singing 'Like a Virgin' again.

"And please stop singing that song!" Magnus called after her.

"I'll give you love, I'll hit you like a truck, I'll give you love, I'll teach you how to .." Ashley started to sing.

"ASHLEY MAGNUS!" Magnus shouted.

"That's Erotica, by Madonna." Henry informed Magnus. "Honestly, what kind of music is she listening to?"

"I wish I could censor it but I haven't that kind of power." Magnus shook her head. She was rather appalled. "What were you going to ask?"

"I can't infect girls when having sex right?" Henry asked. "I mean… with my ehm… condition?"

"As long as you refrain from biting them, they should be safe." Magnus smiled gently.

"Oh I still manage to keep the wolf at bay, don't worry." Henry said solemnly, nodding a little. "See you later." He said, walking off with his hands in his pockets.

_**October 15th 1997:**_

_I feel deeply saddened for Henry. He tries so hard to keep his Abnormal abilities at bay. I've tried to tell him that it's not something to fear but he's concerned that when he's in his wolf, he'll hurt or kill someone._

_I'm afraid that Henry might be afraid of himself, and I'm afraid that if he doesn't embrace his Abnormality that one day, he won't be with us anymore. I've instructed Bigfoot to keep a good eye on him and spend more time with him. Maybe, if Henry was around Bigfoot for a while, he'll embrace who he is, and learn how to control himself._

_I do have to acknowledge that Henry's doing a very good job at not transforming despite his raging hormones. To everyone else he's just a normal teenager._

_I've removed Madonna's music from Ashley's room. Hopefully, she'll start singing something else soon._

"Say you can handle my love are you for real, I won't be hasty, I'll give you a try…" Ashley's voice sounded. "Oh, hi mom!"

"What are you listening to now?" Magnus asked after she listened to a bit of the song.

"The Spice Girls! They're from England like you!"

"Right…"

"Oh and mom? I dreamt about getting a pussy for Christmas." She smiled widely.

"I beg your pardon?"

"I got a pussy for Christmas! But then Henry ate it...he ate my pussy!"

Magnus was trying her best not to scold her daughter as she was clearly talking about a cat but the look on Magnus' face told Ashley that is meant something else.

"Why does your face turn red every time I say the word pussy?"

"Ashley, please..."

"Pussy!" Ashley exclaimed keeping her eyes on her mother's expression. "See? There you go again!"

"Why… why would Henry eat your cat?" Magnus tried to sound as normal as possible, Ashley was just a kid, she didn't know the meaning of the words she sang, to her, it were just words. _But God help me if Henry ends up having sex with my daughter…_ she thought, _that'd be incestuous if he did and he'd be kicked out immediately, despite his talents._

"He was hungry and wolfy!" Ashley frowned a little. "What does pussy mean other than cat? You sound funny..."

"Nothing dear." Magnus smiled. "Let's grab a cup of tea in the kitchen, shall we? I need to give you an unscheduled pop-quiz about modern history anyway."

"Are you kidding me?" Ashley whined as she followed her mother out of her room and to the kitchen.

"I'm your mother, I do not kid." Magnus replied.

"Is the quiz going to be in the kitchen where the cookies are?"

"No, the quiz is going to be in a place where you won't be distracted from pretty and tasty things. We're just stopping by in the kitchen for some tea." Magnus laughed, glad that she was able to change the subject.

"Oh. Does that mean you won't be there?" Ashley grinned.

"I'm not a distraction."

"But you're a pretty, I don't know about tasty, thing!"

"I'm not a thing and I'm sure you can ignore my presence for twenty minutes."

_**March 2nd 1998**_

_Poor Henry's running a fever. He's been working so hard at school lately, he's probably just fatigued. Still, I'm letting him be sick for a couple of days and rest up as he's ahead of his schoolwork. _

_Ashley's fussing over him, probably for as long as Henry can tolerate an 11 year old girl trying to nurse him back to health with twinkies._

"Hey, Henry! I found a story to read to you! Might make you feel better!" Ashley beamed, holding up a book. She then opened it to the middle of the book and began reading out-loud.

"His hand cupped her well…. Form… well-formed mountains as his mouth eagerly ravaged her neck…"

Henry tried hard not to laugh, it hurt his chest. That was like, the worst Harlequin novel ever… not that he read those. "Ash, stop." He coughed. "Don't make me laugh."

"Sorry." She stared at the book for a moment, before lifting the book up and looking at it from all angles. "I don't understand this...is this even English? Why is he cupping mountains?"

Henry took a sip of the glass of cola that Bigfoot had managed to bring around earlier before he spoke. "Where did you ehm… where did you find that book?"

"In my mom's private library. It was buried behind some medical books."

"Oh, you're going to be in so much trouble if she finds out…"

Ashley huffed, skipped a few pages and started to read out loud again. "His long, slick shaft entered her wet pussy… wait… what? Why push a shaft in a pussy? That's animal abuse!"

Henry burst out into a laughing, that soon turned into a coughing, fit.

"I don't see anything funny about animal abuse! No wonder this was buried behind those medical books. It should be burned!"

"Burn it…" Henry gasped for air and then coughed again. "And ask if the Big Guy wants to drop by will ya."

"Okay! Don't die on me!" Ashley said as she hopped out of Henry's room.

Helen Magnus was just on her way to Henry to check up on him when she saw her daughter skid out of Henry's room, holding a book. "Ashley, is there something the matter?"

"This book is the matter!" She held up the book to her mother. "It has animal abuse it in!"

"Animal abuse?" Magnus took the book from her daughter gently and looked at it. "Dear, God..."

"I was on my way to burn it!" Ashley went to take the book back from her mother but Magnus wouldn't allow it.

"There will be none of that."

"But it said that the man stuck his shaft into the woman's poor, wet pussy!" Magnus bit her bottom lip to keep herself from scolding her.

"Ashley, where did you get this book?"

"It was behind those medical books in your private library."

"How many times do I have to tell you that…" Magnus started, but Ashley interrupted her.

"Oh, Henry's choking." She deadpanned.

"Oh, dear God..." Magnus quickly made her way into Henry's room, still holding the book in her hands.

Henry looked at a shocked looking Magnus while finishing his glass of cola. "Get that book away from me or I'll die." He said seriously, trying not to burst out in laughter again.

"Sorry?" Then she remembered she still had the book in her hands. Magnus then put the book behind her back not realizing Ashley coming up behind her.

"Ha! Got it!" Ashley grinned as she ran out of the room again with the book.

"Really doc, I didn't think you'd read those shitty romance novels." Henry said and tried to get rid of that stupid frog in his throat by coughing. When Magnus started to approach him while eyeing the thermometer, he pulled his covers up high. "Don't even think about it!" he squeaked. "I know when I'm running a fever, trust me."

"Yes, but do you know how high it is as well?" Magnus sighed, ignoring the comment about her reading romance novels, for now.

"No, and I don't care." Henry said. "I really don't want you to stick that thing in my ass… I'm not a baby anymore."

Magnus shook her head a little. "It doesn't have to be in your ass, Henry. And even adults get their temperature checked..." She shrugged her shoulders some before stepping back from him. "But if you don't want proper treatment, then by all means, get even more sick."

"I hate it when you go all psychological on me." Henry sulked and opened his mouth for the thermometer.

Magnus rolled her eyes before moving to take his temperature. After taking the thermometer out of Henry's mouth, she checked it and nodded her head a little. "It's lower than it was. You should be able to go back to school in a day or so."

"Can't I just stay here until school has caught up with me?" Henry asked. "I'm ahead on most classes, and I'm bored out of my skull when I go to school. I keep on drabbling fantasy tech in my workbooks."

_What harm could it do, really?_ "I suppose so. Don't expect to be allowed to stay in bed all day though." Magnus grinned a little.

"Great!" Henry smiled widely and coughed. "Will you call the principal then?"

Magnus nodded her head as she smiled to Henry. "Of course."

_**March 10th 1998:**_

_Henry's been working on another project. I'm not exactly sure what it is just yet but I assume it has something to do with computers. Perhaps, it's the security program that he started earlier. _

_I'm pleased to see he's feeling much better._

_Henry's been asking me if I can get him some sort of medicine to keep him calm. He noticed that when he gets annoyed or aggravated that he feels extremely violent and he confessed to me that he just locks himself into his room and fights himself. Now I don't want to experiment different medications on him (I could give him something that focuses him or I could give him something that he can take to calm himself down) so I gave him some diazepam. We'll have to see if it works or not._

_I feel grateful that Henry dared to come to me with his problem. I know he hasn't have it easy with his abnormality._

_I'm also glad to see how young Will Zimmerman is doing. I remember when I first came across him, he was with his father and as a young child he had been so observant, it was amazing. I've been told that he's shown an interest in the human mind. I'm curious as to what he'll become. He might have the potential to work for me in the future._

_The retrieval team has made contact with an Abnormal who apparently has two faces. They didn't want to tell me the exact details, but they did tell me that he's something alright. All they need to do now is to persuade him to come to the Sanctuary._

_**July 20th 1998**_

_For Ashley's Birthday I took her to Germany and attended to concerts of bands that don't really have dubious lyrics or subtext in their lyrics. We've seen an Irish band called The Corrs, and a local band called The Kelly Family. _

_Ashley liked fooling around in Hamburg. I liked visiting Hamburg again, as I met the Beatles there in the 1960's before they got famous. Oh all the memories of that encounter… I must find my sixties journal and revisit my past._

_We also visited Cologne and Berlin, and taught Ashley about the Berlin wall. She wasn't impressed at all. Does my daughter even have compassion?_

_**February 18th 1999:**_

_After months of Ashley listening to and singing songs that aren't so obscene, she happened to overhear Henry listening to a song I believe could very well go up against Madonna's "Erotica" for worst in show. They even created a dance for it. If you could really call it dancing that is._

_It's come to the point where I'm starting to sing these songs._

_Ashley's starting high school after the summer break, and she's already happy to 'get released into the wild' as she calls it. _

_Henry's almost done with high school and he decided what he wanted to do after graduation; college via mail order, so he could study in his own pace, when he wants and what he wants and where he wants. Henry spends most of his time within the Sanctuary walls if he's not going to school that is. As much as I admire his commitment to his computers and trying to improve my weapons, he really needs to get out more often._

_I've started to train Henry to shoot guns. He never really wanted it, and he still doesn't like guns, but he's 18 now, and to be a full member of the Sanctuary team I feel that he has to know what he's doing._

"Oh come on! Let me show him please mom?" Ashley whined. It was painful for her to watch Henry attempt at holding a gun.

"Absolutely not." Magnus let out sternly as she fixed her goggles.

"But he's holding it wrong! He's gonna end up shooting himself."

"Here, mimic me, Henry." Magnus said before she readied her own gun. She pulled the trigger after aiming at one of the targets.

"Holy!" Henry let out a cry and managed not to jump 10 feet in the air.

"Wuss." Ashley grinned.

"Ashley!" Magnus scolded her daughter. "Enough!" She then turned to Henry and smiled. "I'll help you." She put down her gun and moved behind Henry, holding his hands that were on the gun. "Careful for the recoil." She said gently. "Now, aim… keep breathing Henry."

"Do I really have to do this?"

"Well, you like designing weapons, you should know how they feel." Magnus said.

"Right…"

"Now, gently squeeze the trigger." Magnus could feel how Henry nearly fell onto her. "Careful."

"I don't like this very much."

"Try again, Henry."

Henry tried again, with Magnus' help as Ashley watched on. Eventually Henry got the jest of it, but he still didn't like it.

"Very good, Henry." Magnus smiled gently as she pulled away from him. "That'll do for now."

Henry muttered something, gently put the gun on the table, tossed his glasses and headgear away and muttered something more about computers before he walked off.

"Can I shoot now?" Ashley asked with a big smile on her face.

"Absolutely not." She almost said yes.

"Why not?" Ashley pouted.

"You're 13, don't you have homework?" Magnus smiled and watched how her daughter did a faux-dramatic turn and headed for her room.

_**June 21st 1999**_

_Ashley just returned from her first Summer camp. It was hard for me to let her go in the first place, but she demanded to go and wouldn't listen to anything but 'alright you can go'. Safe to say; I wanted Henry to go with her but he refused. There was nothing I could do to change his mind. So far, the plan to get him outside Sanctuary walls more often isn't working._

_Ashley had a fantastic time at Summer camp, but she came home with more scrapes and bruises than she left with. After a full medical examination, Ashley told me that she was one of the boys for the past week or two as the girls were 'too girly' for her taste. She has been climbing trees, swimming, diving off rocks and what not. According to her, all the girls did in their 'off time' was laying in the sun getting a tan. Ashley's tanned too, I suppose she likes it better when she's active._

"Dr. Magnus." Henry slowly walked into the laboratory. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course, Henry." Magnus smiled and put down the Petri dish with mucus of the latest Abnormal the retrieval team had brought to the Sanctuary.

"There's a comic convention nearby, can the big guy and I go?"

Helen looked at Henry, and then repeated the words inside her head. "You want to go out in public with him?" She knew what the Big Guy looked like; he wasn't a shapeshifter like Henry – should Henry's wolf side come round – and he couldn't change his appearance. Normals would probably find the guy frightening.

"It'll be fun!" Henry said and handed over a few printed papers. "As you see on the pictures, people dress up." He started. "He really wants to go and I want more comics. Also, some of the writers and artists will be there too. Please?"

Helen looked over the papers and smiled slightly. Figuring it wasn't such a bad idea since they'd both blend in, she nodded her head. "I don't see the problem in letting you go. " She said handing the papers back over to Henry.

"Really?" Henry smiled big taking the papers back. " Awesome! I'll go tell the Big Guy then! Thanks Doc!"

Helen shook her head as she watched Henry run off.

_**June 23rd 1999**_

_Henry and Bigfoot stayed for two days, they've only just returned and both with big smiles on their faces… for as far Bigfoot can have a thousand megawatt smile. Everything went well, no problems at all. Henry has a pile of new comics and even received some advice on how to speed up the computers. The minute he came home, he retreated to his room to go and work on it. _

_I found Ashley sparring with the Abnormal they call Steve. 'Steve' promised me he was careful with *my* little girl but also said she was a forceful kicker. This made me reminisce about the time I was pregnant with Ashley; I sometimes felt ill and not up for anything when she was moving around in my womb. And I must be grateful for the fact that I am immortal because she managed to bruise my kidneys and ribs more than once!_

_**November 30th 1999**_

_Henry's been going on about the Y2K bug, I had him explain to me what that was because I had no idea. The idea is that once the year 2000 hits, the computers and anything digital would stop working. Now, with a heavily secured Sanctuary network, this was bad news._

_Over the past weeks I've had the technicians of the various Sanctuary branches in my home, who – together with Henry – worked on a fix for the problem outside the already known fixes for civilians and military. _

_As always, the technicians had nothing but praise for young Henry. I could tell that it made him slightly, if not completely, shy in the __process__, but it was true. He really is heading toward becoming the main go-to guy for the Sanctuary security system and his gadgets are out of this world already._

_Ashley keeps on whining about not being allowed to go on missions with the retrieval teams or with me. She's a good fighter, I have to give her that, but she is too young. I can't send her on missions like that. Maybe in a year or two she'll be allowed to pick up packages from Jimmy – an abnormal with an _abdominal pouch and a good friend - _or even with Jimmy when it's not a dangerous acquirement but no. Not now._

_**November 29th 2000**_

_Henry blew up the workshop._

_**November 30th 2000**_

_It was all an accident, of course, and there weren't any major casualties. Henry was nowhere near the workshop and Ashley was at school. Henry was experimenting with laser-technology and left his project unattended. One of the new abnormals we recently caught is able to make any surface tremble in the vicinity and he wasn't happy. He made Sanctuary shake as if there was an earthquake and Henry's project fell, blowing up a good amount of gunpowder in the workshop. _

_I can't recall how many times I've told Henry not to leave his projects unattended – nor the amount of times I told him not to keep gunpowder there – but this had to happen at some point._

_We have also moved the abnormal to a tremor resistant enclosure. _

_**December 10th 2000**_

_Ashley's started dating. Good Lord._

_Henry informed me that he's met the guy and that he's decent and boring. I wonder how long Ashley will be dating this guy._

_I just hope that I taught her enough about virtue. And modesty. And good behavior._

_**December 26th 2000**_

_Apparently Ashley already broke up with her date._

_**May 5th 2001**_

_Ashley's been spending time outside of Sanctuary for a while now. When she's done with school and homework, she's off on the streets. I just hope that she won't do anything stupid but she assures me that she's reaching out to young abnormals and even gaining the trust of some older abnormals with good information about other abnormals and some authority figures._

_I haven't heard anything about her dating someone new. But education wise, she made it pretty clear to me that she's not going to college and that high school should suffice, she's got more to learn at the Sanctuary than at school. She told me she wanted to focus on fighting training and weapon training and capturing abnormals. _

_I'll make it my mission to daily tell her important tidbits of information._

_I've been keeping an eye on William Zimmerman, and he's getting good grades at the university he's at. I can't wait until he's become a psychologist so I can ask him to come and work for me._

_Henry's still doing great with the diazepam I gave him a few years ago. During his yearly medical examination he confessed he took more than I told him to take, and he felt guilty about it. However, I have not seen him behave as an addict and I'm sure he knows what he's doing. Maybe the wolf inside of him is getting stronger and too eager to get out. _

_I've been telling him to give it a chance, to change and see what happens but he's adamant; he won't do it because he does not know what will happen. The scientist in me gets frustrated with this young man._

_I am glad that he too is spending more time outside Sanctuary. He's helping Rachel and Gerald with their research on a Pleskidara. I don't think that these three very smart and sensible people are too young for dealing with an abnormal as fierce and unreliable as the Pleskidara, however, I couldn't stop myself from putting a tranquilizer gun in Henry's bag as he headed off today._

_**July 10th 2001**_

_I was somewhat shocked by Ashley's inappropriate behavior towards James when he came over – albeit briefly – from London. It never occurred to me before that Ashley's more or less a boy rather than a girl, she even burped during supper!_

_And it's not as if I'm an unfit mother, I like to think of myself as a good mother, and I've been trying to teach her some manners. I hope it's the puberty rather than channeling her donor, although the urge to fight does come from him._

_I need to keep an eye on her._

_**December 12th 2001**_

_Henry's running a temperature. Ashley dragged him off to the yard and hosed him down with cold water. She then dragged him off to the freezer, but Bigfoot was fast enough and stopped her before Henry'd become a Popsicle._

_I'm not sure if he's running a temperature because he's getting ill – he's showing no other signs yet or he's a very good actor – or if something else is the matter._

_**December 13th 2001**_

_Henry's sick. He's got the flu and has started to cough now. When I called Rachel her voice was all raspy so I gather that he caught Rachel's bug. _

_I have the urge to lecture Henry on how 'spoken for women' are spoken for, but he's Twenty years old now, he must know by now that you do not kiss someone else's girlfriend._

_I am not even sure he did it._

_Ashley is currently standing next to Henry's bed with a fire extinguisher at the ready. I really have to stop her from doing things like that, despite the fact that she likes to tease him. If she's bored, I have plenty chores for her; clean out the lizard enclosure or maybe start with her own room; it's a pig-sty._

_**March 30th 2002**_

_I cannot believe that the Queen Mother died. She was such a lovely person, and granted, she was 102 years old but I had hopes for longevity for her._

_Oh that's nonsense. People die and I survive._

_I was present when Hitler called her the 'most dangerous woman on Earth' and I was there when she had to bury her husband when she was only 51 years old. She was a strong woman, kind and even had a good sense of humor. She was stubborn; as she refused to leave the UK during the second world war, and she refused sending her children to Canada (as for example the Dutch Royalties had done) because she wouldn't leave her king. _

_For some reason her death is very personal to me; I've known her for as long as I can remember, and obviously left her life when she began to age visually and I didn't. _

_I instructed the Bigfoot to put a vase filled with camellias in my study as those where the Queen Mum's favorite flowers and I want to honor her in my own special way._

_**October 15th 2002**_

_The cat that I had given to Ashley (as she kept on nagging about having one) hasn't lived for long._

_I have told Ashley from the very start that Sanctuary isn't a place to keep pets in. They might get hurt, and Fluffy got hurt. I won't go into any details but Bigfoot will be washing cat intestines off of him for weeks (he tried to rescue the cat!)._

_Europe is being pestered with heavy weather. We're currently trying to give the abnormals of the Sanctuaries in Moscow and New Dehli temporary homes here and in the UK. _

_**October 30th 2002**_

_Author Patricia Cornwell made me laugh today. Apparently she has found some sort of DNA evidence (pesky little thing) that Walter Sickert, a painter, was Jack the Ripper. I know better. Also, she said it was proof because of an alleged defect of Sickert's penis. Let me tell you, there was nothing wrong with that man's manhood!_

_It resembles the matter in 1976, when another author claimed that Sickert was forced to be Jack the Ripper's accomplice. _

_I do understand the people's fascination by the Jack the Ripper murders. Was it fact? Fiction? Who did it? Who was Jack the Ripper? Did he work alone? I know all the answers, but I will never tell!_

_**February 28th 2003**_

_Ashley's dating again. Henry doesn't like the boy she's with and tries to do everything in his power to make the boy's life miserable. Henry's 21 years old, but that doesn't stop me from trying to pry the itching powder gun out of his hands (and get myself and the Bigfoot covered in the process)._

_I've never known Henry for being so childish towards Ashley, it is usually the other way around. Maybe he just really doesn't like poor Evan._

_Dolly the Sheep was euthanized. I sincerely applauded this project from the very start, cloning could become really helpful in the near future (or it could go horribly wrong) and Dolly was the first step in to this new kind of future. Soon, we will clone wildlife on the brink of extinction, which will probably produce more abnormals. Oh boy, we might have to expand!_

_**March 30th 2003**_

_Ugh, SARS._

_Extra air filtering systems were placed just last week. I don't want to sound all paranoid and keep Ashley and Henry inside, but I do tell them to take care. The Outbreak is in Asia and Toronto, but still._

_**August 17th 2003**_

_I'm grateful for not living close to Toronto (Hello, SARS?) but should the power ever go off here at Sanctuary, we've got backup generators with backup generators. We will never sit in the dark. I love it how Henry's becoming a fully fledged tech guy. In the next couple of weeks, we will start testing out Henry's new security protocol for the Sanctuary computers. He's run a lot of simulations in the past weeks, and it looks promising. Should it work, then we will implement it to the entire Sanctuary network._

_Ashley's boyfriend Evan lasted until yesterday. She got bored, again. However, I doubt if she's still a virgin._

_**August 28th 2003  
**__  
I really hope Ashley isn't pregnant. She's late with her period this month._

_Henry put his new computer program in use just last night, and now we're in full lockdown. I trust Henry in fixing this as fast as he can but this is not amusing. Every 5 minutes or so there's the sound of an alarm. Henry's working hard and even kicked Ashley out of the way when she was crowding him._

_**August 29th 2003**_

_Henry is certain this won't happen again. Crisis and lockdown are over and the system is running smoothly._

_Ashley's not pregnant. Phew._

_**October 13th 2003**_

_We saw Michael Schumacher win his umpteenth Formula One World Title yesterday in Japan. Both Henry and Ashley (certainly Ashley) liked the up close and live sound of the Formula One cars._

_We're in Japan on abnormal business, I decided that it was time for Ashley to come along and Henry decided to stay in the hotel. We came close to capturing the abnormal but it was too quick for us to capture. I'm sure the abnormal will have a new home in Tokyo, tomorrow._

_**May 21st 2004**_

_I took Henry and Ashley with me to London. I wanted to see James in person. Whilst Henry and Ashley were exploring London by themselves (Granted, Henry's 23 now, he can easily take care of an 18 year old, can he?) I spoke of The Five for the first time in years._

_Nicola hasn't been seen in years and James is certain that John isn't around anymore. I sure hope so.  
_

_**June 5th 2004**_

_Still in London. Or actually, back again. I took Henry and Ashley for a round trip in England, we visited Liverpool and Manchester, then went up to Scotland and back down to London. _

_It reminded me why I never take a long holiday, but they both deserved it._

_Ronald Reagan died. Wow. _

_I really hate this longevity thing. Everyone I know keeps on dying. I can't imagine what it'd be like if Ashley would die. Or Henry. Or Bigfoot. I need to find a cure for this, maybe James will help me._

_**June 5th 2004 - addendum**_

_James thinks I'm crazy._

_**November 1st 2004**_

_I keep two separate journals; one with science and one such as this one, more personal. However, I've been journaling for 100 years or so. Maybe it's a good time to take a break._

_Henry made it easier for me to keep a journal. I can now record a message on the computer via camera and then encrypt it and store it in my personal archive. I'm not too sure about this, but I will give it a try._


End file.
